Pothole repair spending for Herts is ‘plummeting each year’

Spending on road and pavement improvements has fallen every year since 2013, according to Lib Dem councillors.

The party says it has uncovered figures from Herts County Council amid concerns for ‘ever-deteriorating roads’.

They say funding for roads and pavements has plummeted from £39.2 million in 2013/14 to £30.1 million for 2017/2018.

Cllr Malcolm Cowan, deputy leader of the Lib Dem Group at County Hall said: “The Conservatives are continually telling residents that spending on roads is going up.

“These figures, provided by independent and council officers, show that in fact this vital spending has fallen every year for four years.

“The council are forecasting an increase next year. However they did exactly the same this time last year and instead we have seen another fall. No wonder local residents are complaining about potholed roads and trip hazards on pavements.”

Terry Douris, cabinet member for highways, thinks it is ‘inappropriate’ to highlight one part of the highways budget.

He said: “They (the Lib Dems) have taken a very small element of the whole budget and they have postulated that as being an illustration of what we have been doing.”

He added that the overall highways budget for 2017/2018 will be £62 million – the biggest ever highways kitty.